LUX FIAT

Composer: Charles F. Gounod

Charles F. Gounod (b. Paris, France, 1818; d. St. Cloud, France, 1893) was taught initially by his pianist mother. Later he studied at the Paris Conservatory, won the "Grand Prix de Rome" in 1839, and continued his musical training in Vienna, Berlin, and Leipzig. Though probably most famous for his opera Faust (1859) and other instrumental music (including his Meditation sur le Prelude de Bach, to which someone added the Ave Maria text for soprano solo), Gounod also composed church music-four Masses, three Requiems, and a Magnificat. His smaller works for church use were published as Chants Sacres. When he lived in England (1870-1875), Gounod became familiar with British cathedral music and served as conductor of what later became the Royal… Go to person page >

Tune Information

Title: LUX FIAT
Composer: Charles F. Gounod
Meter: 11.10.11.10
Incipit: 33353 43122 15453
Key: F Major
Copyright: Public Domain

Notes

LUX FIAT is an excerpt from a choral work by Charles F. Gounod (b. Paris, France, 1818; d. St. Cloud, France, 1893), first published in his 1878 collection Chants Sacres. The tune has the characteristics of a twentieth-century Scripture chorus: short, simple, and effective if not overused. LUX FIAT was first combined with the text from Psalm 43 in the 1892 Episcopal Church Hymnal; in fact, the tune's title comes from the Latin phrasing of Psalm 43:3. The setting in the 1987 edition is abridged from earlier editions of the Psalter Hymnal. Do not rush in the singing of this fervent prayer; sing rather quietly, in harmony, perhaps without accompaniment.

Gounod was taught initially by his pianist mother. Later he studied at the Paris Conservatory, won the "Grand Prix de Rome" in 1839, and continued his musical training in Vienna, Berlin, and Leipzig. Though probably most famous for his opera Faust (1859) and other instrumental music (including his Meditation sur le Prelude de Bach, to which someone added the Ave Maria text for soprano solo), Gounod also composed church music-four Masses, three Requiems, and a Magnificat. His smaller works for church use were published as Chants Sacres. When he lived in England (1870-1875), Gounod became familiar with British cathedral music and served as conductor of what later became the Royal Choral Society.

--Psalter Hymnal Handbook

Timeline

Media

The Cyber Hymnal #5971
Text: Send Out Thy Light and Thy Truth
  • Adobe Acrobat image (PDF)
  • Noteworthy Composer score (NWC)
  • XML score (XML)
Psalter Hymnal (Gray) #165
Text: Send Out Your Light and Your Truth
  • Full Score (PDF, XML)
  • Bulletin Score (PDF)
  • Bulletin Score (melody only) (PDF)
With Heart and Voice: songs for all God's children #12
Text: Send Out Your Light and Your Truth
  • Full Score (PDF, XML)
  • Bulletin Score (PDF)
  • Bulletin Score (melody only) (PDF)

Instances

Instances (1 - 9 of 9)
TextPage Scan

African Methodist Episcopal Church Hymnal #616

Church Hymnal, Mennonite #653

TextPage Scan

Psalms for All Seasons #43A

Text InfoTune InfoTextScoreAudioPage Scan

Psalter Hymnal (Gray) #165

ScoreAudio

The Cyber Hymnal #5971

AudioPage Scan

The United Methodist Hymnal #778

TextPage Scan

The Worshiping Church #811

Together in Song #27

TextScoreAudioPage Scan

With Heart and Voice #12

Include 19 pre-1979 instances
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